A CALL has been made for a council leader to foot the bill for bacon butties – because “overburdened” members have been saddled with a long day’s work.

Members of Flintshire Council’s planning committee are angry a vital meeting about the future of the county’s high schools is to be held on the same day they are due to undertake 10 planning application site visits.

It will leave the 21 members with just a 10-minute break between the special executive meeting at 10am and the start of the site visits in the afternoon – for which they have been told to bring their own sandwiches.

But planning chair Alison Halford has branded the clash “incompetent” and said council leader Arnold Woolley should provide bacon sandwiches for all members by way of an apology – and foot the bill from his own pocket.

In an email to the leader, she said: “I write in my capacity as chair of planning to express my grave concerns over the inconvenience planning committee members are being put to.

“It seems that yet again those who lead us have let members down badly and shown great disrespect to my members, who will have to deal with a long day as the site visit list stands at 10 applications to inspect.

“Site visits are arduous and time consuming enough, with some members showing reluctance to give the time to undertake these important visits. “The last thing they need is a 10.45am start and be told to bring sandwiches for a 10-minute pit stop at County Hall before embarking on the afternoon session.”

The special executive meeting, which will be held on Monday, was called after council chiefs agreed to halt a consultation into the possible closure of Argoed High School, John Summers High School and Holywell High School.

Dozens of councillors who are not on the executive committee are expected to turn out at the meeting to represent their angry constituents, who have staged countless protests over the controversial plans.

Executive members will formally agree to halt the consultation at the meeting and discuss what to do next to tackle problems with empty desks in the county.

Cllr Halford said: “We usually have to deal with five or six site visits on any one day, which is time consuming enough, but because of the summer recess we have more than we otherwise would.

“Almost all of the members who are on the planning committee will also want to attend executive, but it will mean they will face an extremely difficult day, as the site visits will take much longer than normal.

“I think Cllr Woolley should foot the bill for some bacon sandwiches for them by way of an apology for the inconvenience, but it should be at no cost to the public.

“He earns a big enough allowance to make that possible.”

Cllr Woolley said he had responded privately to Cllr Halford’s email and would not make a formal comment about the request.

He added: “Councillors do at times have to deal with pressures and priorities and when dealing of matters of great importance in a very limited timescale, clashes will occur.”